The ballots have been tallied and the results are in. Congratulations are in order for the newest inductees to the National Toy Hall of Fame: bubbles, the Rubik’s Cube, and little green army men everywhere!

No one knows when bubbles first floated into the world, but images of children playing with them first appear in 17th century Flemish paintings. Today there are a ton of different bubble makers on the market accounting for the purchase of more than 200 million bottles annually!

Little green army men first marched into our hearts in 1938. Younger siblings of metal and lead toy soldiers, these two to four inches of molded plastic represent mid-20th century United States military. Still produced in the millions by multiple manufacturers, these little guys continue to advance into children’s imaginations and toy boxes, and have even landed co-starring roles in the Toy Story films.

Last but not least, the colorful and ever-puzzling Rubik’s Cube was inducted during its 40th anniversary year. Congratulations to all the winners! Don’t worry if your favorite toy didn’t get in; there’s always next year.

It’s that time of year again! The National Toy Hall of Fame has announced the finalists for the 2014 induction. And it looks as though we might be having a case of déjà vu… this year’s two inductees could be American Girl dolls, bubbles, Fisher Price Little People, Hess toy trucks, little green army men, My Little Pony, Operation Skill Game, paper airplane, pots and pans, Rubik’s Cube, Slip ‘N Slide, or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Since the finalists were announced on September 22, almost 7,350 public votes have been cast. Make sure your opinion is included! Learn more about the finalists and vote on the Hall of Fame’s website. Check back there or here on Small Talk after November 6 to see if the bubbles float to the top or the pots and pans make a big bang!

The 2013 inductees to the National Toy Hall of Fame are in the spotlight once again, starring in Leigh Rubin’s Rubes® Cartoons. Rubin began his artistic journey with his own greeting card company, which led to his funny Rubes® Cartoons.

Did you know Monopoly started as a game to teach people how terrible it was to have a money-gouging landlord? Or that the Etch-a-Sketch debuted in France as the Magic Screen? Or how about that the Slinky was originally supposed to cushion naval vessel instruments?!

Join Christopher Bensch, Vice President for Collections at The Strong, home of the National Toy Hall of Fame and National Museum of Play, as he explores the history of Hall of Fame inductees at FAO Schwarz. We’re guessing only Santa’s workshop has more toys than FAO Schwarz!

Chess is one of the world’s oldest games, originating from an Indian war game where pieces represented different types of fighting men. By 1475, the English were playing the version we know today with bishops, knights, and pawns. Some chess players don’t mess around; they can be found in the World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri.

The first rubber duck was different too… it didn’t float! Originally designed as a chew toy, the rubber duck floated its way into pop culture history when Sesame Street’s Ernie first sang “Rubber Duckie” to his favorite tub toy in 1970. Ernie was right, we still think rubber duck is the one for bubble baths!